Thales Deutschland has been awarded contracts to develop VHF/UHF radio module and national waveforms SEM and IdZ for the German Software Defined Radio programme, SVFuA.
Stuttgart / Pforzheim, 16 December 2009 – SVFuA is the German Software Defined Radio (SDR) programme that will bring next generation radio technology to the Bundeswehr, the German Federal Armed Forces. Germany’s Federal Bureau of Information Management and Information Technology has commissioned Thales Deutschland in Pforzheim, Germany, to develop a radio module with a frequency range of 30 megahertz (MHz) to 600 MHz and to port the national high security VHF waveform SEM 80/90/93 to the SDR in compliance with the Software Communication Architecture (SCA) standard. This waveform is in service on thousands of fielded radios and will continue to be used on the future SDR. The waveform contract also includes an option to port the UHF waveform of the German future soldier programme, IdZ (Infanterist der Zukunft), to SVFuA. Thus, the Bundeswehr relies on the expertise of Thales for vital components of their SDR programme. With it, the Bundeswehr closes a capability gap for best of breed tactical communications.
Dr. Markus Hellenthal, CEO of Thales Deutschland, is pleased with Thales’ success: “The order for this pivotal development and procurement programme confirms the trust that has grown between the German Armed Forces and Thales as a result of decades of successful co-operation.” The radio module development benefits from the latest technology of a military VHF power amplifier that was developed in Pforzheim. Today it is manufactured there in large quantities for the international markets of the entire Thales Group with the French Armed Forces being one major customer.
According to M. Hellenthal, the short development schedule of the SDR radio module and demanding technical specifications present a particular challenge. He adds that the German Forces plan to procure several thousands of these radio modules upon completion of the development, and that together with the waveforms, Thales will contribute a considerable share in the SDR programme.
Peter Obermark, Vice President of the Thales Deutschland’s Defence Solutions & Services business area, underlines Thales’ technical expertise in this field: “Our radio engineering capabilities and our self-funded development of SDR technology since the beginning of the decade were key to our success.”
As a global leader in the field of tactical radios, Thales is heavily involved in the SDR national programmes in the USA and in Europe. Thales Deutschland is a major contributor of the Group’s own SDR development and export programmes. It is this experience, according to Obermark, that qualifies Thales Deutschland to port the waveforms to a radio whose core is being developed concurrently by a different manufacturer – a first in Europe.
Obermark considers conditions excellent for jobs at the location: “This order secures existing and creates new high-tech jobs in Pforzheim, which is part of the Group’s global centre of expertise for next generation SDR technology.”
Since the 1980s, over 80,000 SEM series VHF radios were built in Pforzheim for the German Armed Forces and over 2,000 cutting-edge soldier communication systems for the German future soldier programme IdZ have been manufactured here in the past few years.
About Thales
Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace and Space, Defence, Security and Transportation markets. In 2008, the company generated revenues of 12.7 billion euros with 68,000 employees in 50 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners. www.thalesgroup.com
About Thales Deutschland
Thales Deutschland is headquartered in Stuttgart and is Thales Group’s third largest national subsidiary. The company employs 5,700 persons at twenty-seven locations and carries out its own manufacturing and development. In 2008, Thales Deutschland generated sales of EUR 1.2 billion, of which seventy-five percent were German value added. Thales Deutschland has been based in Germany for half a century. The company, an integrated German electronics corporation and systems house, is a model of traditional German engineering skills. As a recognized member of Germany’s high-tech industry, Thales Deutschland offers its customers at home and abroad state-of-the-art, highly secure and ultra-reliable communications, information and control systems, as well as services for secure ground, air and sea transportation, for both civilian and military security and protection needs. The company also develops and manufactures satellite components. Thales Deutschland focuses on the lasting business success of its customers. Its business partnerships with customers worldwide, as well as with local and international engineering and research partners, are based on trust.
Press contacts:
Erwin Teichmann
Thales Deutschland, Communications Director
Phone: + 49 711 869 34991
E-mail: erwin.teichmann@thalesgroup.com
Caroline Philips
Thales, Corporate Communications
Phone: +33 1 57 77 87 26
E-mail: caroline.philips@thalesgroup.com
